


3am Fortuna

by orphan_account



Category: The Magicians (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, Eliot and Margo work at a sketchy pizza place, First Meetings, Flirting, M/M, Q and Julia are sleep deprived uni students, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:07:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23936569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Quentin wondered if it was worth it to stay and wait to order here. He could go and try to find someplace else that didn’t look like it was ripped right out of a 90’s horror movie. Spiders drooping from the windows included.Even if there was no place else, surely Julia would understand if he went back empty-handed. Better to survive on old macaroni and energy drinks then to get murdered trying to order what would probably end up being a sub-par pizza.
Relationships: Margo Hanson & Eliot Waugh, Quentin Coldwater & Julia Wicker, Quentin Coldwater/Eliot Waugh
Comments: 10
Kudos: 54





	3am Fortuna

**Author's Note:**

> A quick fic while I work on a bigger project I have planned! This fun little idea just came to my head and I had to get it out there! This is unbetaed so any mistakes are mine!

Let it be known that Quentin had never been one to make good decisions. Like bleaching his hair in seventh grade, or letting his best friend Julia give him a stick-and-poke on his sixteenth birthday. Both of which resulted in disappointed looks from his father and a month of extra chores.

But, standing in a near-empty pizzeria at three in the morning, Quentin thinks he makes some pretty good decisions too.

It had begun the way most things in Quentin’s life do, with Julia coming over to his apartment after class so they could study. Surrounded by lecture notes and various literary texts, they had steadily been cramming away. It wasn’t until they hit their eleventh hour of studying when Julia had suddenly and loudly proclaimed that she couldn’t take it anymore.

“I’m serious, Q,” she groaned, scrubbing a hand over her eyes she slumped back against his couch from her spot on the floor. “All you have in your refrigerator is Red Bull and some highly dubious macaroni. I’m going to need real people food if you want to keep working.”

Lifting his head up off his coffee table, Quentin had blinked slowly, trying to rouse himself from the homework induced haze he had been in. 

“Yeah, okay,” he agreed, nodding lazily. “What do you want?”

“Some pizza sounds really good right about now.” 

Quentins stomach had grumbled in agreement and there was no room to argue. All the nearest pizza places didn’t do delivery so late, or perhaps it would be so early, in the day. So, Julia had shoved a crisp twenty-dollar bill in his hand and shooed him out the door. 

The crisp outside air had woken Quentin up in no time, so it didn’t take him long to come to the realization that anywhere still open at this hour would definitely be more questionable than the mac ‘n’ cheese Julia found in his fridge.

That is how Quentin found himself standing under the dim lights of Lady Fortuna’s Pizzeria at three in the morning.

A steady buzzing noise filled the pizzeria as the overhead lights fought to stay alive, their old bulbs casting a hazy yellow-orange glow over the restaurant. There was no one behind the counter, but Quentin could hear movement coming from back where he assumed the kitchen was.

Looking around, Quentin wondered if it was worth it to stay and wait to order here. He could go and try to find someplace else that didn’t look like it was ripped right out of a 90’s horror movie. Spiders drooping from the windows included. 

Even if there was no place else, surely Julia would understand if he went back empty-handed. Better to survive on old macaroni and energy drinks then to get murdered trying to order what would probably end up being a sub-par pizza.

Quentin’s only just made the decision to cut his losses and high tail it home when the door that leads to the back swings open and he makes two observations in quick succession. The first is that the door hinges could really use some WD-40. The second, and considerably more noteworthy of the two, is that the man walking out to the counter has to be the most attractive human being Quentin has ever seen.

Even under the washed-out lights, the man is striking. Completely out of place against the dingy walls of the eatery, with his tall frame and artfully styled hair. Imprints of dark circles under his eyes that only seem to contribute to the carefully crafted aesthetic the man has.The only thing that indicates he works there it the bright red apron tied around his waist.

“Can I help you?” The man drawls, eyes sparkling with mischief after a moment of Quentins blatant gawking.

“Uh, yeah. Um, do you have pepperoni pizza here?” Quentin flounders, cringing internally at his own lack of tact as he steps up to the counter.

The man, whos nametag Quentin can now see reads ‘Eliot’, raises an eyebrow. “Pepperoni? No. We’re out.”

“Oh, uh,” Quentin falters. He casts a glance at the menu board posted behind the counter, flustered. What does he order now? He hadn’t thought far enough ahead to plan for them not selling the one pizza both Quentin and Julia could agree on.

The panic must be clearly written across his face because the man’s - Eliot’s - cool facade breaks and he throws his head back with a peal of laughter. “Holy shit, I’m fucking with you! We’re a pizza place, of course, we have pepperoni.” 

Dumbfounded, Quentin watches as Eliot brings a hand to his stomach to try and calm his laughter.

“I don’t think that’s the best business model, you know,” Quentin huffs brusquely. “Gaslighting your customers and all that.”

“Oh please,” Eliot chortles, over his laughing fit and now looking at Quentin with an amused smirk. “I wasn’t gaslighting you, I just wanted to see if I could get you riled up. High-strung nerds are my type.”

Quentin’s tired brain almost short circuits and he watches as Eliot’s smirk turns into a genuine smile. “I’m Eliot.” He introduces, giving Quentin a very obvious once-over.

“I know. I mean I read it. Uh, on your nametag,” Quentin fumbles. “That’s how I know your name. Not because I know you or anything”

Eliot looks all too pleased, watching Quentin trip over his words. Quentin isn’t quite too sure on how to proceed. Eliot’s flirting with him, even he’s not dense enough to miss it, and Quentin is definitely here for it. On the other hand, he also really wants his pizza.

Just as it looks like Eliot is about to say something else, the back door swings open again. This time a gorgeous brunette woman steps out with a hand on her hip. God, Quentin thinks incredulity, does this place only hire supermodels?

“Hey, chuckledick,” she snaps, eyes on Eliot. “Either take his order, get his number, or bang it out in the storage closet.”

Rolling his eyes, Eliot grins fondly. “One large pepperoni to go, my dear Margo. If you get it started I’ll finish ringing this fine young man through?”

Margo sighs, exasperated, but turns back into the kitchen anyways. “You’re going to owe me, Waugh,” she calls out as the door swings shut behind her.

“Thank you, Bambi! Love you!” Eliot sing-songs before turning his attention back to Quentin. “Now, where were we?”

“Ringing me through for the pizza?” Quentin prompts, grabbing the twenty from his back pocket.

Eliot waves him off with the flick of his hand. “Don’t worry about it. It’s on the house.” 

Quentin quirks an eyebrow, hesitant to put his money away. “Are you sure? Not that really isn’t a smart business model, giving away free product.”

Snorting in a way that Quentin should find unattractive yet doesn’t, Eliot shakes his head. “What are you, a business major? If one pizza is what finally drives this place under then it will have been about damn time.” Eliot pauses and then continues, giving Quentin a flirty wink as he does. “Plus, I only give free pizza to the cute ones.”

“Comparative literature, actually.” Quentin retorts. “And I bet you say that to all the sleep-deprived boys who come in here at three am.”

Eliot laughs and Quentin decides he quite likes the sound of it when it’s not at his expense. 

Shrugging one shoulder, Eliot hums, “You got me there. But, it’s closer to four am now anyway, so I guess that makes you special.”

Quentin grins as the door to the kitchens it pushed open again and the woman, Margo, appears again. Only this time, however, she’s holding a large pizza box that she drops down on the counter in front of Quentin. 

“One large pepperoni. Enjoy it, it’s ass.” She snarks. “The mess back there is all yours, El. Mama’s taking her break.”

Eliot winces as she saunters away, “I feel like I probably deserve that,” he admits wearily.

Now that the pizza is there Quentin is hit with a wave of disappointment. It’s hard to justify staying around to flirt more when he’s gotten what he came for. Should he ask for Eliot’s number or just leave? He hadn’t even gotten around to actually telling Eliot his name.

As if sensing his internal debate, Eliot grabs a napkin from on top of the pizza box and a pen from his apron then begins to speak while he writes. “I am giving you my number. I work the graveyard shift here Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, hopefully for not much longer since I just got a gig bartending downtown during the weekends. So, I’m busy Saturday and Sunday nights, but message me any other time during the week and I’ll be free.”

He hands the napkin over to Quentin with a flick of flair and Quentin can only think that yes, he makes some pretty dumb decisions sometimes; but standing in Lady Fortuna’s Pizzeria at nearly four am, getting the number of the hottest guy he’s ever seen, is not one of them.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all so much for reading! If you enjoyed it please leave me some kudos and some comments about what you thought! Each comment gives me like... five whole seconds of serotonin. Also, go check me out over on Tumblr @newnewduckberg I'd love to make some more friends in the Magicians fandom, or just talk about some of the fics I have planned!  
> Cheers!


End file.
